A Warwick man has pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of felon in possession of a firearm, as announced by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. The individual, Miguel E. Pavao, 52, had previously been convicted and sentenced on various charges including firearms offenses, drug trafficking, domestic violence, and assault.
According to court documents, the incident leading to this charge occurred on February 6, 2022. A Warwick Police Officer conducted a traffic stop involving Pavao. His nervous behavior and admission to possessing marijuana prompted the officer to ask him to exit his vehicle. During a pat-down search, the officer discovered a fully loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in Pavao's waistband.
Pavao was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his previous convictions in Rhode Island state court for domestic violence charges and drug trafficking, as well as federal convictions for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2025. A federal district judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other statutory factors.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron. The investigation involved multiple agencies including the Warwick Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
